Description:  Disposable plastic gloves are used to serve food in most fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, in fresh food service at grocery stores, and for institutional food-service in schools, hospitals, sporting venues, prisons, businesses, etc. To meet the aim of minimizing infectious disease transmittal, gloves are often used for a single serving, then discarded.

Potential Concern:  Chemicals of concern may migrate from some gloves, contaminating prepared food and exposing customers to potential harm. Some gloves may also expose food workers and trigger allergic reactions, some serious. Single-use disposable gloves contribute to the growing public concern about plastic waste.

Solution Focus:  Frequent hand-washing with soap and water may be equally effective as gloves in minimizing the spread of infectious disease. For disposable gloves, choose materials that have fewer chemical additives of concern, and pose fewer toxic hazards over the lifecycle of the material. For sustainability, opt for plastics that are recyclable or compostable, require less virgin material, and can be incorporated into a recycling or composting infrastructure.